Navigation apparatus and method for updating map data thereof

ABSTRACT

A navigation apparatus and a method for updating map data thereof are provided. A map database of the navigation apparatus stores data of a plurality of existed roads. When coordinates of the navigation apparatus are not located on any one of the existed roads, a comparison module of the navigation apparatus determines whether the shortest distance between the coordinates and the existed roads exceeds a predetermined threshold. If the shortest distance exceeds the predetermined threshold, a map data adding module updates a traveling path according to a plurality of succeeding coordinates of the navigation apparatus until the navigation apparatus is determined to return on one of the existed roads. When the map data adding module finishes updating the traveling path, the map data adding module stores data of the traveling path in the map database of the navigation apparatus.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is related to a navigation apparatus and a methodfor updating map data of the navigation apparatus, and more particularlyto a navigation apparatus and a method capable of automatically addingmap data of new paths to update the map data of the navigationapparatus.

2. Description of the Prior Art

When a driver is driving for a long distance or through complicatedstreets in the city, a navigation apparatus may be used to supply thedriver with clear direction to guide the driver to quickly reach adestination. However, the roads frequently changes. Roads that wereclosed before may now be opened. New roads may also have been added. Andit is also possible that roads that are open before may now be closed.In addition, the map data of the navigation apparatus may be the mapdata from last year or earlier. When the navigation reaches a new road,the navigation apparatus may not be able to identify the new road. Atthis time, the user may only be able to wait for an updated map data.However, updating of the map data may require additional payment or therelease of the updated map data may take a long time. This will causethe user inconvenience and additional cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the present invention presents a navigation apparatus.The navigation apparatus comprises a map database, a positioning module,a comparison module, and a map data adding module. The map database isconfigured to store data of a plurality of existed roads. Thepositioning module is configured to receive a positioning signal toacquire coordinates of a current position of the navigation apparatus.The comparison module is configured to determine if the coordinates arelocated on any one of the existed roads, and configured to determine ifa shortest distance between the coordinates and any one of the existedroads exceeds a predetermined threshold when the coordinates are notlocated on any one of the existed roads. The map data adding module isconfigured to establish a traveling path when the coordinates are notlocated on any one of the existed roads, and configured to update thetraveling path according to succeeding coordinates of the navigationapparatus acquired by the positioning module while the shortest distanceexceeds the predetermined threshold until the navigation apparatusreturn to any one of the existed roads. The map data adding modulestores data of the traveling path in the map database when the map dataadding module finishes updating the traveling path.

An embodiment of the present invention presents a method of updating mapdata of a navigation apparatus. The method comprises accessing data of aplurality of existed roads stored in a map database of the navigationapparatus, a positioning module of the navigation apparatus receiving apositioning signal to acquire coordinates of a current position of thenavigation apparatus, a comparison module of the navigation apparatusdetermining if the coordinates are located in any one of the existedroads, a map data adding module of the navigation apparatus establishinga traveling path and the comparison module determining if a shortestdistance between the coordinates and any one of the existed roadsexceeds a predetermined threshold when the coordinates are not locatedin any one of the existed roads, updating the traveling path accordingto succeeding coordinates of the navigation apparatus acquired by thepositioning module while the shortest distance exceeds the predeterminedthreshold until the navigation apparatus return on any one of theexisted roads, and when the map data adding module finishes updating thetraveling path, the map data adding module storing data of the travelingpath in the map database of the navigation apparatus.

These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt becomeobvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading thefollowing detailed description of the preferred embodiment that isillustrated in the various figures and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a function block diagram of a navigation apparatus100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 to FIG. 4 are used to illustrate a process of establishing dataof a travelling path in the navigation apparatus in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of a method of updating map data of thenavigation apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. FIG. 1 illustrates a function blockdiagram of a navigation apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of thepresent invention. FIG. 2 illustrates a map displayed during navigationof the navigation apparatus 100. The navigation apparatus 100 comprisesa positioning module 110, a comparison module 120, a map data addingmodule 130, and a map database 140. The map database 140 is configuredto store a plurality of pieces of existed-road data 142. Each of thepieces of existed-road data 142 corresponds to an existed road on a map.As shown in FIG. 2, an existed road 144 is displayed, and the data ofthe existed road 144 is stored in the map database 140 in a type of oneof the pieces of existed-road data 142. The navigation apparatus 100displays the existed road 144 in FIG. 2 according to the piece ofexisted-road data 142.

Furthermore, the positioning module 110 of the navigation apparatus 100is configured to receive a positioning signal Sp to acquire coordinatesP of a current location of the navigation apparatus 100. In anembodiment of the present invention, the positioning signal Sp may befrom the navigation satellite of the Bei Dou Navigation Satellite System(BDS) or the Global Positioning System (GPS). But the present inventionis not limited thereto; the navigation apparatus 100 of the presentinvention may be used to receive positioning signals of other navigationsystem.

In addition, the comparison module 120 of the navigation apparatus 100is configured to determine if the coordinates P of the navigationapparatus 100 are located on anyone of the existed roads. And when thecoordinates P are not located on any one of the existed roads, the mapdata adding module 130 may establish a traveling path. Please refer toFIG. 2 to FIG. 4. FIGS. 2-4 are used to illustrate a process ofestablishing data of a traveling path 132 by the navigation apparatus100. Wherein, B represents a starting point of the traveling path 132, Crepresents a current location of the navigation apparatus 100, and Erepresents an end point of the traveling path 132. In other words, thenavigation apparatus 100 starts at point B, passing through thetraveling path 132, and ends at point E. Furthermore, FIG. 2 is a mapdisplayed by the navigation apparatus 100 not long after the currentposition C deviates from the existed road 144. FIG. 3 is a map displayedby the navigation apparatus 100 a period of time after the map in FIG. 2was displayed. And, FIG. 4 is a map displayed by the navigationapparatus 100 when the end point E is reached. In addition, it should benoted that the existed road 144 in FIGS. 2-4 is one of the plurality ofexisted roads and that FIGS. 2-4 only shows an exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention. Although FIGS. 2-4 only shows one existed road144, those skilled in the art should understand that the navigationapparatus 144 may simultaneously display a plurality of existed roadsthat is near the current position C. And because FIGS. 2-4 onlydisplayed one existed road 144, the existed road 144 of FIGS. 2-4 may beviewed as the existed road that is nearest to the current position C.

When the comparison module 120 determines that the coordinates P of thecurrent position C of the navigation apparatus 100 is not on theplurality of existed roads, the map data adding module 130 may establishthe traveling path 132 and determine if the shortest distance d betweenthe plurality of existed roads and the coordinates P exceeds apredetermined threshold. The predetermined threshold may be set by themanufacturer of the navigation apparatus 100 before being released fromthe factory or may be set by the user according to the need of the user.The purpose of setting the predetermined threshold is to give margin oferror for the positioning of the navigation apparatus 100. In anembodiment of the present invention, the predetermined threshold may be,but is not limited to, 100 meters. When the shortest distance d does notexceed the predetermined threshold, even though the comparison module120 may determine that the coordinates P of the current position C ofthe navigation apparatus 100 is not positioned on the plurality ofexisted roads, the traveling path 132 would not be identified as a newpath. The traveling path 132 would be identified as a new path only whenthe comparison module 120 determines that the coordinates P of thecurrent position C of the navigation apparatus 100 is not positioned onthe plurality of existed roads and the shortest distance d exceeds thepredetermined threshold.

In the embodiment, the existed road 144 in FIGS. 2-4 may be consideredas the existed road of the plurality of existed road nearest to thecurrent position C. Therefore, when the coordinates P of the currentposition C of the navigation apparatus 100 is not positioned on theexisted road 144 in FIGS. 2-4, the coordinates P of the current positionC of the navigation apparatus 100 is not positioned on the plurality ofexisted roads. Furthermore, the shortest distance d between thecoordinates P and the plurality of existed roads is the shortestdistance between the coordinates P and the existed road 144 in FIGS.2-4. When the coordinates P of the current position C of the navigationapparatus 100 is not positioned on the existed road 144, the map dataadding module 130 may establish the traveling path 132 according to thesucceeding coordinates P outputted from the positioning module 110.Furthermore, while the shortest distance d exceeds a predeterminedthreshold, the map data adding module 130 may update the traveling path132 according to the succeeding coordinates P of the navigationapparatus 100 obtained by positioning module 110 until the coordinates Pof the navigation apparatus 100 returns to the plurality of existedroads (i.e. return to the existed road 144 shown in FIG. 4). Wherein,when the succeeding coordinates P of the navigation apparatus 100returns to the existed road 144, the map data adding module 130 mayfinish updating the traveling path 132 and the map data adding module130 may store the updated traveling path 132 in the map database 140 tobecome a new piece of existed-road data 142. In an embodiment of thepresent invention, the navigation apparatus 100 further comprises anavigation module 150 configured to plan at least one navigation routeaccording to the pieces of existed-road data 142 (may include data ofthe traveling path 132) stored in the map database 140. Since thetraveling path 132 is shorter than the existed road 144, after the dataof the updated traveling path 132 is stored in the map database 140, ifthe user is at the starting point B traveling to the end point E, thenavigation module 150 may plan a navigation route that includes thetraveling path 132 according to the updated pieces of existed-road data142. In this way, the traveling distance may be shortened.

In an embodiment of present invention, after the map data adding module130 finished updating the traveling path 132, the map data adding module130 may store the coordinates of the starting point B, the coordinatesof the end point E, and the traveling distance of the traveling path 132in the map database 140. In another embodiment of present invention,after the map data adding module 130 finished updating the travelingpath 132, the map data adding module 130 may further store a travelingdirection of the traveling path 132 in the map database 140. Taking FIG.4 as an example, the traveling direction of the traveling path 132 isthe direction of the starting point B to the end point E. The travelingdirection of the traveling path 132 may be recorded to prevent thenavigation apparatus 100 from committing an error of directing the userto pass through the traveling path 132 beginning at the end point E tothe starting point B if the traveling path 132 is a one way road thathas the traveling direction of the starting point B to the end point E.In an embodiment of present invention, the navigation apparatus 100 mayfurther comprise a transmission module 160 configured to upload theupdated data of the traveling path 132 to a server 200. The server 200may further share the data of the traveling path 132 uploaded by thenavigation apparatus 100 to other navigation apparatus to update the mapdata of the other navigation apparatus.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of a method of updating map data of thenavigation apparatus 100. In step S502, the navigation module 150 mayaccess the pieces of existed-road data 142 stored in the map database140 and may set a value of a flag to 0. Wherein, the purpose of thevalue of the flag is to conveniently determine if the shortest distanced between the coordinates P and the existed roads exceeds thepredetermined threshold. When the value of the flag is 1, it indicatesthat the shortest distance d exceeds the predetermined threshold. Andwhen the value of the flag is 0, it indicates that the shortest distanced does not exceed the predetermined threshold. In step S504, thepositioning module 110 may receive the positioning signal Sp to acquirethe coordinates P of a current position of the navigation apparatus 100.Afterwards, in step S506, the comparison module 120 may determine if thecoordinates P are located on an existed road. If the coordinates P arelocated on the existed road, step S520 maybe performed. If thecoordinates P are not located on the existed roads, step S508 may beperformed. In step S508, the map data adding module 130 may determine ifthe traveling path 132 has been established. If the traveling path 132has not been established, step S510 may be performed such that the mapdata adding module 130 may establish the traveling path 132. If thetraveling path 132 has been established, step S512 may be performed suchthat the map data adding module 130 may update the traveling path 132according to the succeeding coordinates P of the navigation apparatus100 acquired by the positioning module 110. Afterwards, the comparisonmodule 120 may calculate the shortest distance d between the coordinatesP and the existed roads in step S514 and may determine if the shortestdistance d exceeds a predetermined threshold in step S516. If theshortest distance d does not exceed the predetermined threshold, stepS504 may be repeated and continue navigation. If the shortest distance dexceeds the predetermined threshold, step S518 may be performed to setthe value of the flag to 1 and step S504 maybe repeated after.

In step S520, the map data adding module 130 may determine if the valueof the flag is 1. When the map data adding module 130 determines thevalue of the flag is 0 in step S520, it indicates that the shortestdistance d does not exceed the predetermined threshold. In this time, ifthe map data adding module 130 has already established the travelingpath 132, the map data adding module 130 may delete the establishedtraveling path 132 and then perform step S504. During step S520, if thevalue of the flag is determined to be 1, this indicates that thetraveling path 132 has been established and the navigation apparatus 100has returned to the existed roads. And then, step S522 may be performedand the data of the existed roads 132 may be stored in the map database140 by the map data adding module 130 and become a new piece ofexisted-road data 142. Afterwards, in step 524, the map data addingmodule 130 may delete the established traveling path 132 and set thevalue of the flag to be 0.

The navigation apparatus and method of updating map data of a navigationapparatus of the present invention may automatically store map data of anew path that has been passed through to the map database such that thenew path that has been passed through may be used in the nextnavigation. As a result, the accuracy of the map data of the navigationapparatus maybe increased because of the real time updating. And thenavigation apparatus may plan a navigation route according to the mapdata updated at real time to better meet the needs of the user.

Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerousmodifications and alterations of the device and method may be made whileretaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the abovedisclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and boundsof the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A navigation apparatus, comprising: a mapdatabase, configured to store data of a plurality of existed roads; apositioning module, configured to receive a positioning signal toacquire coordinates of a current position of the navigation apparatus; acomparison module, configured to determine if the coordinates arelocated on any one of the existed roads, and configured to determine ifa shortest distance between the coordinates and any one of the existedroads exceeds a predetermined threshold when the coordinates are notlocated on any one of the existed roads; and a map data adding module,configured to establish a traveling path when the coordinates are notlocated on anyone of the existed roads, and configured to update thetraveling path according to succeeding coordinates of the navigationapparatus acquired by the positioning module while the shortest distanceexceeds the predetermined threshold until the navigation apparatusreturn to anyone of the existed roads; wherein when the map data addingmodule finishes updating the traveling path, the map data adding modulestores data of the traveling path in the map database.
 2. The navigationapparatus of claim 1, further comprising a navigation module configuredto plan at least one navigation route according to the data of thetraveling path and the data of the existed roads stored in the mapdatabase.
 3. The navigation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the map dataadding module stores coordinates of a starting point, coordinates of anend point and a traveling distance of the traveling path in the mapdatabase when the map data adding module finishes updating the travelingpath.
 4. The navigation apparatus of claim 3, wherein the map dataadding module further stores a travelling direction of the travelingpath in the map database of the navigation apparatus when the map dataadding module finishes updating the traveling path.
 5. The navigationapparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transmission moduleconfigured to upload the data of the traveling path to a server.
 6. Amethod of updating map data of a navigation apparatus, comprising:accessing data of a plurality of existed roads stored in a map databaseof the navigation apparatus; a positioning module of the navigationapparatus receiving a positioning signal to acquire coordinates of acurrent position of the navigation apparatus; a comparison module of thenavigation apparatus determining if the coordinates are located in anyone of the existed roads; a map data adding module of the navigationapparatus establishing a traveling path and the comparison moduledetermining if a shortest distance between the coordinates and any oneof the existed roads exceeds a predetermined threshold when thecoordinates are not located in any one of the existed roads; updatingthe traveling path according to succeeding coordinates of the navigationapparatus acquired by the positioning module while the shortest distanceexceeds the predetermined threshold until the navigation apparatusreturn on any one of the existed roads; and when the map data addingmodule finishes updating the traveling path, the map data adding modulestoring data of the traveling path in the map database of the navigationapparatus.
 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising: a transmissionmodule of the navigation apparatus uploading the data of the travelingpath to a server such that the server stores the data of the travelingpath as a new set of data of existed roads when the map data addingmodule finishes updating the traveling path.